Sweat, the overwhelmed tears of my skin drip down in anticipation as I await the answer from the premier colleges to which I have applied for admission, including Stanford University, and UCLA. I open the envelope and skim the first few words, hoping to determine quickly their decision. This future situation of mine is nearly identical to hundreds of high school seniors every year. As the students hear of their college options, few know why they were chosen or not. actually admitted to their respective schools. From Jacques Steinberg’s The Gatekeepers, and from the websites of premier universities, one can discover much about the admissions process, and what gets students into, or keeps them out of, their choice of higher education. The admissions process for a premier college or university takes into account much more than a student’s grades and test scores; characteristics that a student does not choose, such as race and the geography of his or her origin, will aid or damage his or her chances of admission.
In choosing each
year’s freshman class, admissions staff members at premier
colleges and universities attempt to create a body of students from a
globally inclusive geographic area, and racially diverse backgrounds.
The University of California at Berkeley boasts on their website,
“While most of our 23,500 undergraduates are Californians,
every state and more than 100 foreign countries are represented on
campus.” Stanford University declares, “More than half
of Stanford undergraduates are students of color.” In The
Gatekeepers, Steinberg relates Ralph’s thoughts about this
sentiment: “I was there… because of the cultural
perspective I could bring to the process.” Ralph was admitted
to UCLA and Stanford (Steinberg 18). These colleges' own websites
attest that diversity in both race and geography are beneficial to each
university. This leads to students being accepted to certain
universities based on things other than merit and scholastic aptitude,
as students can be considered more highly sometimes only because of
their ethnicity. A Native American student thought
that, “Those C’s and D’s … had surely been
his undoing.” (Steinberg 215). This student, who had a poor
academic record, was actually admitted to a premier college
(Steinberg), demonstrating the effect of one’s unchosen
attributes on an admission officer’s decisions. Another
student in Gatekeepers named Julianna, is an ethnic dancer
who was accepted to Yale, Stanford and Wesleyan. She remembers
wondering which
college will have the “best show” (Steinberg 210). This
is because each college wants her for her ethnicity, because there
are many more with similar academic records, but few with her
ethnic capabilities to add to the diversity of whichever community she
chooses to join. Admissions counselors have even been known to watch a
student since the seventh grade (Steinberg). These choices in the
admissions process are not actually negative, however, because their
effect on each college community is positive. Many schools attribute their tendency to admit less academically qualified students based on their race or geography to a search for diversity within their student community; they think and defend that diversity within a body of students is a generally beneficial attribute. As Stanford puts it, “We believe that the best education can develop only in a vibrant, diverse community that actively affirms both the differences among its members and the numerous points of connection" (Diversity at Stanford). They continue on a different page, “We believe that diversity is essential to the educational process and that it affects the student body in all of the ways that our students experience the University. At a place like Stanford, where students learn so much from one another, a dynamic range of perspectives and experiences influences learning both in and out of the classroom. We are committed to making Stanford as strong a university as possible, and this entails enrolling the most promising students from all backgrounds". Even institutions based on religious teachings of equality will admit, “Diversity is central to our mission and is essential to the health of our institution. A diverse university community of students, faculty, staff and board members enriches the learning experience for all, and prepares us for the multicultural world in which we live. In comparison, public universities, which “do not make decisions based on race”, still value diversity and attempt to make an ethnically diverse community. UCLA says, “Student diversity is a compelling interest at UCLA. It contributes to a rich and stimulating learning environment, one that best prepares leaders-in-the-making for the challenges and opportunities of California, the nation, and beyond" (UCLA). To sum it up, choosing a student based solely on race and geography is justified by using diversity as a necessary component of a successful student body, as Stanford puts it, “From our vibrant residential environment, to our intellectually charged classrooms, to all corners of campus where our students engage, diversity is celebrated" (Diversity at Stanford). From the testaments of each college, it is notable that a diverse college community is a priority in the admissions process of any premier college. The Admissions officers also defend their decisions sternly, signifying how they prioritize their diversity, as Steinberg relates about an individual who tried to change an admissions committee’s minds on the decision of one student, “When the intruder approached, he came under immediate and heavy fire" (199). The committee would not tolerate opposition to their decisions on who were admitted to their premier college. Whether society condemns them or praises them for it, colleges choose students to admit to their community based on more than their academic success. From Stanford and Pepperdine to UCLA, every college wants an ethnically diverse community, and they want people from every corner of the globe. This method attributes much to the current race for college seats by students around the world. As thousands of prospective college students put together their applications every year, they must consider more than their academic accomplishments and extra-curricular activities; they must also think about how they will convey their ability to add to the diversity of the college.
Works Cited Pepperdine University. "A Christian Rationale for Diversity at Pepperdine." 2007. 11 Sep. 2008 <http://www.pepperdine.edu/diversity/christian-rationale/>
"Diversity at Pepperdine. Goals for the Future." 2007. 11 Sep. 2008 <http://www.pepperdine.edu/diversity/goals/>
Stanford University. "Diversity at Stanford." 2007. 11 Sep. 2008 <http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/student/diversity/index.html> "Frequently Asked Questions." 2007. 11 Sep. 2008 <http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/site/faq/index.html#faq_4_1> Steingberg, Jacques. The Gatekeepers . New York: Penguin, 2003. UC Berkeley. "The Berkeley Campus." 2007. 11 Sep. 2008 <http://students.berkeley.edu/admissions/general.asp?id=18> UCLA. "Undergraduate Admissions and Relations with Schools." 2007. 12 Sep. 2008 <http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/Prospect/Adm_fr/FrSel.htm> |